New London Challenge: The Painted Shoes

Last week's answer

Take a look at the stern of the ship model on the third floor of New London City Hall and you'll see that it's the New London County. The vessel saw service in two wars, but its ultimate fate is a mystery.

Launched in February of 1945, just a month after she was laid down at Bethlehem-Hingham Shipyard in Massachusetts, the vessel was originally known as LST-1066. The ship arrived in the Pacific after Japan's surrender ended World War II, but stayed to assist in occupation duty until December before being decommissioned in 1946 and placed in the Pacific Reserve Fleet.

The LST-1066 was renamed the New London County until 1955, and returned to duty after the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. Landing ships were again in demand during the Vietnam War due to limited port facilities in the country, and the New London County was assigned to unload supplies in the central part of Vietnam. The ship was decommissioned again in 1967, turned over to the Military Sea Transportation Service, and damaged by a mine off the Vietnam coast in 1970. The service in the Vietnam War earned the New London County two battle stars.

After the second decommissioning, the ship was sold to the Chilean Navy in 1973 and renamed the Comandante Hemmerdinger. She served a decade under this new name before she was sold again for merchant service, becoming the Maquiserv. After that, it's unclear what became of the ship that was once the New London County.

One reader correctly guessed that this was a landing ship, but attributed it to Cross Sound Ferry. The company has repurposed LSTs for ferry operations, however. The Cape Henlopen helped offload supplies in the D-Day invasion in World War II, but remains in service today bringing cars and passengers between New London and Orient Point.

This week's question

New London is a town of many murals. Where can you find the one in the above picture?

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